First club meeting of 2021
Our first meeting for this year will be on Thursday 14th January at the Gin-Trap in Ahuriri. Similarly to prior years we will have the private room off the main bar. However they weren’t keen on full meals this year as they didn’t want to have a rush on the kitchen. So we have compromised by changing the time to 6.30pm to allow most of us to have a meal at home beforehand if required and then meet at the Gintrap to socialise for an hour before the start of our meeting. There will still be a reduced bar menu available from that time also for those who wish to have something to eat there.
The abbreviated meeting will start at 7.30pm and I look forward to seeing you there.
Kind regards
Juliet
Volunteers sought to help with Save our Kiwi Hawke’s Bay
Back in 2002, an estimated 1000 eastern brown kiwi kiwi lived in the Kaweka Ranges. That year the newly formed Environment, Conservation and Outdoor Education Trust (ECOED) sprung into action to help reverse the decline. Their focus is in three areas. Building a core population of kiwi in Kaweka Forest Park; raising Operation Nest Egg chicks in the pest-proof Pan Pac Kiwi Crèche (which opened in 2008); and engaging school children with kiwi.
Hans, one of the kiwi’s being monitored in the Kaweka FP.
ECOED manages more than 40 kiwi spread over 25,000 hectares in Kaweka Forest Park and has constructed the Pan Pac Kiwi Crèche at Opouahi Scenic Reserve, which surrounds 40 hectares of bush with a 3.3 kilometre pest-proof fence. The first chicks raised in the crèche were returned to the wild in 2009 and in 2020 it the hundreth chick to the Kaweka Forest Park.
The Kiwi Care team are looking for ‘Committed volunteers’ to help with Kiwi chicks at the Opouahi Kiwi Creche. Volunteers will be taught how to handle and care for young Kiwi Chicks.
The Kiwi Care team meet on Tuesdays at the Opouahi Creche.
If any person is interested then contact – Kahori Nakagawa – cellphone: – 0274 482111
Kiritaki Hut 30/31 January 2021
The overnight tramp in January is to Kiritaki Hut in the southern Ruahine Ranges
Mike Christie, Ranger Recreation/Historic, Manawatu.
Kia Ora RUG group,
There will be on-going hut restoration work being completed in the Ruahine Forest Park in conjunction with the BCT.
The first lot of restoration work will be done on – Hinerua Hut, A-Frame Hut, Leon Kinvig Hut and Otukota Hut:
Major hut repairs are planned for these huts. The huts will be closed during works (except for emergency shelter). Exact hut closure dates will be confirmed as soon as possible.
If you are planning to use these huts between December 2020 and March 2021, please keep yourself updated about hut availability by checking the DOC website, this forum or by contacting the Manawatu District Office. manawatu@doc.govt.nz
Megan Dimozantos, North Island Project Coordinator, Backcountry Trust has sent this request to tramping clubs.
Summer Paint a Hut programme – Nab your fave hut from this list! Choose hut. Fly in. Paint.
Kia ora koutu!
I have something very exciting for you all today. The Trust and respective DOC offices have kindly provided approval in principal for a bunch of hut painting projects over the summer.
Volunteer hut painting projects are great for a number of reasons:
- Great idea for community groups, or groups of mates to spend some time doing worthwhile mahi aroha in the bush.
- Easy for people who may not necessarily have the skills or knowledge for some of our bigger projects.
- Painting is an important early step in hut maintenance to ensure the longevity of the hut, so you’ll be doing your bit to save a part of our hut network
- It’s not a huge commitment, so a great way for volunteer groups to get to know Backcountry Trust and get a feel for how we work.
You get a free helicopter flight! Yeehaa! How does it work?
So this is super easy:
- Get a group of mates/colleagues together (4 is usually about right)
- Choose your fave hut from the list below and email me (be quick so you don’t miss out!)
- I’ll work with you to get the paperwork together (yeah unfortunately there’s a little bit of it, but not too much!)
- DOC provides the paint/stain through their awesome agreement with Dulux, and we fly you and the gear into the hut to get the mahi done, then fly you back out.
- You take a bunch of pics and do a wee bit of a write up for us on the job.
A lot of groups ask to stay in an extra couple of days before their helicopter pickup so they can do some hunting or tramping in the area and that’s totally fine!
Still got questions? Email me, or give me a call on 021 804044 for a korero
Megan Backcountry Trust <megan.dimozantos@backcountrytrust.org.nz
Which huts?
Choose a hut from the list below…
- Tarn Biv, Ruahines
- Leitch’s Hut, Whareorino Conservation Area (roof paint only)
- Sunrise Hut, Ruahines
- Blythe Hut, Ruapehu (this one also requires a re-screw of the roof)
- Rangipo Hut, Ruapehu
- Maketawa Hut, Taranaki (this one will happen in February, and is the only one that has vehicle access, so no chopper for this one unfortunately!)
- Shutes Hut, Ruahines (roof paint only)
- Mitre Flats Hut, Tararuas
- Waikuku Lodge, Aorangi Ranges
- Sutherlands Hut, Tararuas
Email me if you are keen on being involved in any of the above.
Other projects
We have some other projects approved for which we’ll need some volunteers:
- Poutaki Hut (Gwavas Conservation Area) – Full restoration
- Sparrowhawk Biv (Ruahine Forest Park) – Full Restoration
- Black Birch Biv (Kaweka Forest Park) – Re-pile and a new deck
Email me if you are keen on being involved in any of the above
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